FoodChain ID provides third-party, global certification for organic standards, including the USDA National Organic Program, EU Organic and other worldwide organic certifications through Bioagricert, a FoodChain ID company.
Operators starting up organic production must complete the contract and an activity description and return them to FoodChain ID Certification by email or post to undertake to comply with the regulations. They must also notify the local authorities at the same time (Wallonia: Notifier une activité en production biologique au SPW ARNE (wallonie.be), Flanders: Kennisgeving | Landbouw en Visserij (vlaanderen.be), Grand Duchy of Luxembourg: Agriculture biologique : Notification d’activité – Guichet.lu – Luxembourg (public.lu), France: La Notification – Agence Bio. Once the notification has been validated by the authorities, we will be able to intervene and carry out your first audit.
It is important to note that all operators are required to subsequently notify any changes to the data transmitted in this notification (Foodchain ID must also be notified).
In the event that the applicant is already bound by a contract with another third-party body accredited and approved for the control of organic production methods, the operator is obliged to release himself from his commitments. The participant is contractually obliged to pass on any sanctions still in force to the new inspection body. At the same time, if an operator changes inspection body, the first inspection body immediately forwards to the next inspection body all the data required for the continuity of inspection activities concerning this operator.
Once we have received your documents, an inspector experienced in your company’s sector will contact you (in the case of an announced audit) to make an appointment to carry out your first audit. This appointment, in the case of a first audit (approval audit), must be made within 30 days (60 days in the Flemish region) of receipt of the notification document.
Minimum changes for which Foodchain ID Certification must be notified
Any changes to the activity notification form submitted to FoodChain ID Certification must be notified as soon as possible by e-mail to certification.bio@foodchainid.com. These include
- for producers
- changes to storage and production and/or harvesting sites, processing and/or packaging sites ;
- increase or decrease in surface area;
- addition or cessation of an activity;
- changes affecting the certified scope;
- for manufacturers
- any changes to the facilities (including any new sites) used for processing, packaging and storing products before and after operations;
- any new product (in the case of a new process, recipe(s), workshop or procedure);
- all new labelling and/or changes to labelling (documents, labels or packaging) referring to organic production methods.
- for importers
- any changes to the importer’s premises and import activities and any other facilities that the importer uses to store imported products;
- for retailers
- updating the list of products marketed ;
- adding or stopping an activity.
